Automatic valve



Maich 7, 1933.

fffz; v

w. A. McLl-:AN

AUTOMATIC VALVE Filed March 25, 1932 Patented Mar. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT oFF-ICE WILLI-AI A. IGLEAI', OF BOCHFSTE,NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO C. SCHNAGKELS SON, c ING., OF BOUHESTH', NEW YORK, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK AUTOMATIC VALVE Application tiled latch 25, 1932. Serial No. 601,196.

systems, and it has for its object to provide an improved automatically acting valve that will flmction to produce a substantially uniform predetermined iow under varying pressures. The improvements are directed in part toward providing a valve of this character of a very simple construction that may be produced at low cost and which will be substantially self-cleaning.

To these and other ends,the invention resides in certain improvements a and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawing:

ed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of my invention the same being shown attached to a lubrlcating system to control the feed through an oil filter and illustrative of one useful application thereof;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged central longitudinal section through the valve case and valveV with the latter in one position;

Fig. 3 is a similar view with thevalve in another position;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal central section through the valve cylinder alone;

-Fi 5 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal central section through a modified construction.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

In the accompany illustration, I have shown my invention applied to an oil ilter in the line of the circulatory lubricating system of an internal combustion engine. The oil filter shown is of the nature disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 549,963, liled July 10, 1931. The details of its structure and mode of operation are not important to this disclosure beyond the fact that it comprises a container 1 having screens 2 and 3 confining a filtering body A'cover is clamped to the screen 3. This forms an inlet chamber 7 below the ltering medium and an outlet chamber 8 above it. An inlet pipe 9 takes into the chamber 7 and, being connected to the oil pump, forces the oil through the lterto chamber 8 and out through a pipe 10 leading therefrom tothe bearings.

In the operation of such a system, the problem is to maintain a proper level and pressure of oil in chamber 8 and a feed therefrom through pipe 10 that will be adequate for the lubricating demand Without straining the cover 5 and practically regardless of the size of pipe 10. The problem arises from the fact that pumps on different engines vary in capacity and produce dif- Fig. l is an elevation of a valve constructferent feed pressures and it isimpracticable to use different sizedpipes for the different systems. With my invention, in its present and other applications, the volume of the feed is rendered constant irrespective of the pumping pressure.

gain referring in detail to the drawing, 11 indicates a valve shell or casing in the pumping line having an outlet 12 into which pipe 9 is threaded. The shell is preferably vertically arranged, as shown, for reasons that will hereinafter appear. At its lower end there is threaded therein a plug 13 provided with an inlet opening 14 into which is threaded in turn a pipe 15 connected t0 the oil pump `or other sourcev of pressure (not shown). V A central reduced continuation of the plug 13 constitutes a fixed piston 16, over which fits a vibratory cylinder 17 slidable to reciprocate or ioat within the shell 11. A continuation 18 of the inlet 14 communicates with a laterally opening port 19 in the fixed piston 16, which port may be constituted by a bore drilled transversely therethrough. Another similar port 20, that may be formed in the same way, communicates with a discharge port 2l in the y'head of the fixed piston, which port opens into the interior of the sliding'cylinder 17. This latteris proT vided with a restricted feed port 22 discharging into the shell 11 or, rather, to the outlet 12 thereof. A by-pass 23 normally container by a bolt 6 threaded into the connects andholds in communication ports 19 and 20, as shown in Fig. 2. This'by-pass ma be formed, as shown 1n Fi 4, by counter oring a circumferential cavity at a pro er point in the interior wall of cylinder 1 The o eration of the device is as follows:

As efore stated, the feed port 22 in the cylinder is preferably smaller than all of its communicating passages and really determines the rate of feed up to a maxlmum. T he pumped oil, in the normal or initial, position of the valve shown in Fig. 2, travels through 14, 18, 19, 23, 20, 21, 22, 12, 9, 7, 8, 10, the by-pass 23' connecting ports 19 and to capacity. Asv soon, however, as the rate of feed therethrough and through pis- A ton port 21 exceeds the desired feed capacity of port 22 in the cylinder, the pressure therein lncreases between it and the iston and the cylinder slides upwardly. en this happens, the shoulder24 at the lower end of the by-pass cut-out 23 in the cylinder wall acts as a cut-ofi by raising the cylinder bodily and if the said pressure is suiicient, this will close port 19 entirely and hence inlet 18, as shown in Fig.l 3, where the c linder 17 has risen to the top of the shell. soon thereafter vas the normal feed through feed port 22 of the cylinder has reduced this ressure therein, the cylinder will dro back y gravity, which it is constantly ten ing to do, and reestablishthe by-pass 23 with pisl ton port 19 and hence with inlet 18.

impurlti'es present in the oil, whereas with A similarly-acting construction is shown in Fig. 6, except that it is modified in. two respects. A coil spring 25 centered on a boss 26 on the cylinder head 17 acts 'against the same and reacts against the end of the Y shell so that the c linder will resume normal position inde n ently of gravity and irres ective oft e position that itoccupies in t e system or line. The port 19 is formed in the piston 16, asbefore, but the by-pass 23 connects it with longitudinal grooves 27 in the upper end of the piston that take the place of the ports20 and 21.

outlet opening of the shell -and withh the.

piston head dlscharge; with a lig-pass nor'- mally connecting the piston hea ischarge with the lateral port, and with a cut-olf for such lateral port effective upon an outward stroke of the cylinder.

2. In an automatic valve of the character.

described, the combination set forth in claim 1 characterized further by the fact that the iston is carried integrall7v upon a lu xed in the end of thefkshel and in Whic' the inlet opening is formed.

5. In anautomatic valve of the character described, the combination set forth in 'claim l characterized further by the fact that the piston is rovided with two lateral ports,

`one of whlch, controlled by the cut-oif, communicates with the by-pass and with the intake and the other of which communicates with the by-pass and with the head port.

6. In an automatic valve of the character 1 characterized further by the fact that the by-pass is formed by an annular cavit in the wall of the cylinder and the cut-og by the shoulder formed thereby.

1 WILLIAM A.v MCLEAN.

My improved valve, besides being automatic'in its action, is superior to set valves hitherto used to control the feed by permanently Ydefining the size of an opening therethrough in that such valves clog with solid the present construction the valve frees itself dueto the frequent oscillations of the cylinder 17. y

I claim as my invention:

1. In an automatic valve of the character described, the combination with a shell having inlet and outlet openings, of a fixed piston withinthe shell having'a lateral port communicating with the inlet o and a discharge port in its head, an -a vi ratory cylinder confined within the shell and fitted over the fiston, said cylindenbeing provided with a eed port communicating with the described, the combination set forth in claim 

